5 




SF 225 

.M85 
Copy 1 



THE STATE OF WYOMING 

Dairy, Food and Oil Department ^^^u^vu^.^Vm 



STAR VALLEY DAIRY FARMERS' BULLETIN 



Maurice Gkoshon, Commissioner Oscar J. Lamm, Deputy 

Cheyenne, Wyoming Cheyenne, Wyoming 

Bulletins will be sent upon request 

Address: Dairy, Food and Oil Commissioner 
Chej^cnne, Wyoming. 



The farmer holds the key to the quality of the butter and 
cheese manufactured and the price received for same. The market 
price of butter and cheese is governed primarily by its quality. 
Good butter and cheese which brings top market prices can be 
made only from good cream and milk, and the quality of the cream 
and milk in turn is controlled by the care it receives on the farm. 
Under present market conditions the quality of butter affects 
its price more than ever Ijefore, i. e., the difference in price between 
first-grade butter and second-grade butter is very great. This 
fact is due largely to the increase of imports of foreign butter. 
Most of this imported butter is of good quality. This influx 
of foreign butter will be vastly greater after the conclusion of the 
European war. In order to successfullj' meet this competition 
with foreign butter and to preserve American markets for Ameri- 
can butter we must produce better butter. We must produce a 
butter equal in quality to that of the imported product. Good 
butter is an essential asset of the dairy business under any condi- 
tion. Each pound of good butter sold increases the consumptive 
demand for butter. Quality is the most effective advertising 
medium; in fact, it is an absolute necessity for the permanency 
of the business. The better the quality of the butter, the greater 
its consumption, the more brisk and the more favorable the 
butter market, the larger the returns. Quality is also the only 



9> 



really effective means to successfully compete against butter sub- 
stitutes. 

The dairy farmer, the producer of cream and milk, controls 
the quality and price of butter and cheese. If he furnishes cream 
and milk of a good quality he makes possible the manufacture of 
good butter and cheese which will command the highest price 
on the market. If he suppHes cream and milk of inferior quality 
a low-grade butter and cheese is found to be made from it, which 
means small returns for the product. The dairy farmer is the 
controlling power which determines the destiny of the dairy 
industry. The care he gives the cream and milk on the farm, 
determines the financial returns from the butter and cheese; 
and in turn the returns from the butter and cheese determines 
the prosperity of the dairy farmer, because the price the creamery 
pays for butter fat is necessarily largely regulated by the price 
the butter and cheese brings on the market. 

Lack of proper care of cream and milk on the farm and the 
resulting poor quality of cream and milk, will therefore augment 
the depression of the butter market and stimulate the sale of 
foreign butter and butter substitutes, causing low prices to the 
creamery and small returns to the farmer. These unsatisfactory 
conditions can be overcome by proper attention to the quality 
of the cream and milk on the farm. The dairy farmers of our 
State who are endeavoring to produce a high-grade cream and 
milk should not be obliged to receive for their cream and milk 
the same price per pound of butter fat as the farmer who is taking 
no care and produces a poor cream and milk, which results in 
a quality of butter and cheese that does not bring the top-grade 
basis. If he has No. 1 grain or fancy stock, he receives more 
for the same than he does for inferior stock. In the markets all 
butter and cheese is sold according to the grade and there is 
great variation in prices between the best and the poorest grades. 

The production and sale of cream and milk in accordance 
with these suggestions will be in conformity with the State laws 
which forbid, under penalty, the sale or offering for sale, or de- 
livering, of insanitary cream or milk. 

The production of butter and cheese of all of the other cream- 
eries in the State combined does not exceed the production in 
Star Valley, and I know of no locality where the conditions are 
as favorable as they are there. We appeal to every dairy farmer 
in the valley to help us in our effort to turn out the highest grade 
of butter and cheese that can be manufactured. Star Valley 
dairy products should have a reputation second to none and with 
your full co-operation there is no question as to the results. This 
cannot be accomplished unless a good grade of cream and milk 
is produced. Will you do this for the reputation of Star Valley? 
We have issued the following regulations for the care of cream and 



Do of- Do 
APR ?A 1916 



^ 



r>; milk, which, if followed, will accompUsh what we are striving for. 
': Under authorit}^ conferred upon the Dairy, Food and Oil 

JL Commissioner b}^ Section 5, Chapter 107, Session Laws 1913, 
*^ the following rules and regulations for the enforcement of the 

Wyoming Food Laws and standards of purity for food products 

have been adopted: 

Regulation No. 16. Gradmg of Cream and Milk. 

Cream that is clean to taste and smell, sweet or slightly 
sour, containing not to exceed five-tenths of one per cent, of 
acid and not less than thirty (30) per cent, of butter fat shall be 
considered first-grade cream. It must be free from lumps, curd, 
dirt and all foreign matter. 

Cream that is too sour or too low in fat to grade as first- 
grade cream and containing not over one per cent, of acid shall be 
considered second-grade cream. It may have weedy or undesir- 
able flavors or odors. 

Milk which is clean and sweet to taste and smell and con- 
taining not more than two-tenths of one per cent, acid and not 
less than 3.25 per cent, butter fat shall be considered first-grade 
milk. It must be free from lumps, dirt, and all foreign matter. 

In order that the tests for sediment shall be uniform the 
Wisconsin Milk Tester, manufactured by the Lorenz Model 
Company, of Madison, Wis., will be used. 

Regulation No. 17. 

All cream or milk cans either full or empty shall be covered 
with tight fitting lids and when conveyed in open wagons shall 
be securely covered with clean canvas while being so conveyed. 

Regulation No. 18. 

The creameries will thoroughly wash and sterilize all cream 
and milk cans before returning them from the creamery. 

Regulation No. 19. 

Cream and milk cans cannot be used for Siwy other purpose 
than containers for cream and milk. The practice of using cans 
to convey whey or swill from the creameries is prohibited. 

Regulation No. 20. 

All utensils used for the reception, storage, or delivering of 
cream or milk shall be made of glass, stoneware, glazed metal or 
tin-plate free from rust, and of sanitary construction. 



— 4— 

Production of Clean Milk 

Every owner of a dairy herd should consider it liis duty 
to himself and to the community to keep only health}^ cows, 
suppl}' them with wholesome feed and keep them in clean, com- 
fortable quarters. He will also find it the most profitable. 

The milkers and all who handle the milk should realize 
that they have in their charge a food which is easilj^ contaminated; 
and should therefore take all reasonable precautions to prevent 
the milk from becoming a source of danger to themselves and 
others. 

The consumer should understand that clean, safe milk is 
worth more and costs more to produce than milk which contains 
dirt and disease germs and should therefore be willing to pay 
more for it than for dirty milk, which is dear at any price. 

Definition of Clean Milk 

While a rigid application of the definition of the word "clean" 
would exclude milk which contains foreign matter or any bacteria 
whatever, for ordinar^y purposes we may understand clean milk 
to be milk from health}'^ coavs that is free from dirt and contains 
only a small number of bacteria, none of which are of a disease- 
producing nature. 

By exercising proper care the number of bacteria which get 
into the milk during the process of milking is small, but these will 
increase rapidly if the milk is not kept cool until used. 

If fresh milk contains a large number of bacteria, it indicates 
that the milk has become contaminated during the process of 
milking, although in some cases many of the bacteria may come 
from an infected udder. 

If milk contains large numbers of bacteria when it reaches 
the consumer either it is not fresh, has come from a diseased cow 
or has otherwise been contaminated, or it has not been kept cool. 
Although such milk may contain no visible dirt, it is not bacter- 
iologically clean and should not be sold as clean milk. 

If milk contains large numbers of blood corpuscles or pus 
cells, it is an indication that the cow from which it was drawn is 
diseased. 

Milk from a diseased cow, from one about to calve, or from 
one that has very recentl}^ calved possesses abnormal qualities, 
and though it may not always be dangerous to use, it cannot be 
considered as clean milk and should not be used as such. 

Bacteria in Milk 

All milk unless collected under very exceptional circumstances 
contains some bacteria. (Bacteria are single-celled plants so 



small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye.) Milk fur- 
nishes all the food material and other necessary conditions for 
bacterial growth. The bacteria commonly found in milk grow 
most rapidly at temperatures between 80° and 100° F. Each 
bacterium at maturity divides into two and under favorable 
conditions the two new individuals may become full grown and 
repeat the process of division in 20 or 30 minutes. At a tempera- 
ture below the most favorable point the growth of bacteria is 
retarded, but continues slowly. Growth at 70° is rapid; at 50° 
it is much retarded, and at 40° or below it is very slow. Some 
bacteria continue to grow, however, even at the freezing point. 

The rapidity with which bacteria multiply in milk, at differ- 
ent temperatures, is shown in Table I. 

Relative Growth of Bacteria when Held at Different Temperatures 





Number 










Tempera- 


per cubic 


Number at 


Number at 


Number at 


Number at 


ture of 


centimeter 


end of 


end of 


end of 


end of 


Milk 


at 
beginning 


6 hours 


12 hours 


24 hours 


40 hours 


50° F. 


10 


12 


15 


41 


62 


68° F. 


10 


17 


242 


61,280 


3,574,990 



If the milk had contained 1,000 bacteria per cubic centimeter 
at the beginning, the part held at 50° F. w^ould have contained 
4,100 bacteria at the end of 24 hours while that held at 68° F. 
would have contained 6.128,000. The effect of temperature upon 
the growth of bacteria is shown graphically in Figure 1. 




I 

a 



Fig. 1. This diagram (after Conn) shows the rapidity with which bac- 
teria multiply in milk not properly cooled. A single bacterium (a) in 24 
hours multiplied to 5 (b) in milk kept at 50° F.; (c) represents the number 
that develop from a single bacterium kept 24 hours in milk at 70° F. 



— 6— 

Many of the Imcteria commonly found in milk produce no 
apparent change in the milk. Others may change the appearance, 
while some of the most common types of bacteria cause marked 
changes in both appearance and flavor. In this class are included 
the bacteria which sour the milk by converting the sugar into 
lactic acid and those which form a sweet curd. Another type 
destroys the casein and albumen in the milk and causes putre- 
faction and bad odors. 

The number of bacteria in milk depends, first, on the number 
of bacteria in the udder; second, on the amount of contamination 
from outside sources; and, third, on the rapidity of the bacterial 
growth. The rate of growth depends on the temperature at 
which the milk is held. 

Sources of Milk Contamination 

Bacteria find their way into the milk from various sources. 
Some may come from the udder itself, where they grow in the 
milk cisterns and ducts. The greater number, however, come 
from the dust of the air, the dirt from the udder and flanks, 
from the milker, and from unclean utensils. Disease-producing 
bacteria may get into the milk from cows having such diseases 
as tuberculosis, or from people who handle the milk, who may 
themselves have contagious diseases or who have been taking 
care of patients afflicted with such diseases as typhoid fever, 
diphtheria, and septic sore throat. 

Importance of Clean Milk to the Consumer 

The consumer is interested in clean milk primarily because 
no one cares to use a food which is not produced and handled 
under sanitary conditions. There is more direct interest, how- 
ever, because of the danger of contracting disease which may be 
communicated by this means. Serious epidemics of typhoid 
fever, septic sore throat, and other diseases have been dissem- 
inated through the milk supply. The weight of scientific evidence 
at the present time leads to the conclusion that tuberculosis may 
be transmitted from animals to human beings, particularly 
children, who consume raw milk containing tubercle bacilli. 

Cleanliness is not an absolute safeguarrl against disease, but 
it is the greatest factor in preventing contamination. From the 
health standpoint there is great danger not only from the specific 
disease-producing bacteria previously mentioned, but from milk 
that contains large numbers of miscellaneous bacteria which 
may cause serious digestive troubles, especially in infants and 
invalids whose diet consists chiefly of milk. There is also the 
minor consideration of the loss to the consumer from milk souring 



or otherwise spoiling loefore it can be used. The cleaner the 
milk, the longer it will keep good and sweet. 

Importance of Clean Milk to the Producer 

Clean milk not only benefits the consumer, but the milk 
producer who will consider this subject from an unbiased stand- 
point will find many ways in which he himself is benefitted by 
producing clean milk. There are a number of items in this 
connection which, when considered alone, may seem unimportant, 
yet collectively they are of great importance. Moreover, they 
are not only of immediate value, but have a cumulative value 
reaching far into the future. Tuberculin testing, for example, 
is not only a safeguard to the purity of the milk supply for the 
consumer, but is a means of assisting the producer to protect his 
herd against future ravages of tuberculosis. 

Safeguarding the purity of the milk is a protection to health 
on the farm in several ways; first, the health of the farmer's 
family, who use a portion of the milk themselves; second, the 
health of the calves, which live largely on milk. Healthy cows 
to breed from and pure milk to feed upon are two important 
factors in rearing thrifty calves and in the development and 
maintenance of a healthy and profitable herd. Aside from these 
immediate and definite benefits there is another consideration, 
not immediately measurable but of vast influence, namely, the 
moral influence, for no one can learn to produce good and clean 
milk without learning good methods of care and management 
of the herd, and the study of these things leads to greater care 
and intelligence in the economic features of the business. 



HOW TO PRODUCE CLEAN MILK 
The Cows and Their Care 

To have healthy cows is one of the first essentials of the 
production of clean milk. If the cows are diseased their milk 
is apt to contain disease-producing bacteria, or be otherwise 
abnormal. Such milk is not clean nor safe as an article of food 
even though there is no visible dirt in it. 

The cows should be tested for tuberculosis by a capable 
veterinarian at least once a year, and if diseased animals are 
found the herd should be tested twice a year. All cows which 
react, showing that they are infected with the disease, should be 
removed from the herd and the stable and premises thoroughly 
disinfected. No additions should be made to the herd without 



subjecting all animals purchased to the tubercuUn test before 
they are brought to the farm. They should then be kept separate 
from the other animals for at least 60 days and retested. Without 
the use of tuberculin the cattle owner is confronted with serious 
and continuous losses; with its use the disease can be eradicated 
from the herd and the danger of its spread to man from this 
source removed. 

Special attention should be given to the condition of the 
udder, and any milk which appears slimy, ropy, Avatery, or other- 
wise abnormal, should not be used as food. As a rule milk should 
not be used within 15 days before calving or during the first 5 
days after calving. It is well not to use milk from cows which 
have been given powerful drugs, for they may pass through the 
tissues of the mammary gland and into the milk. 

The external condition of the cow is a most important factor 
in the production of clean milk. One of the greate.st sources 
of milk contamination is the dirt on the outside of the animal's 
body. It is therefore essential that extra care be given to keeping 
the cow free from accumulations of mud and manure. Grooming 
is usually dispensed with as it costs money, yet there is far more 
reason for the daily grooming of an animal that produces human 
food than of a horse which hauls a manure spreader or a garbage 
wagon. Custom, however, demands that the horse be kept 
clean and this custom must be extended to include cows on farms 
where clean milk is produced. Cows on pasture usually keep 
cleaner than when in the barn, but though they appear clean they 
may be very dusty and should be brushed before each milking 
period. When kept in stables they require a thorough cleaning 
at least once every day. It is well to clip the long hairs from the 
udder, flanks, and tail, in order that dirt may not cling to them. 
It is desirable that the bedding be clean, dry, and used in sufficient 
quantities to promote the comfort of the animal, especially where 
the floor is of concrete. 

The cow should not be groomed, bedded, or fed immediately 
before milking, as these operations fill the stable air with dust and 
bacteria. Frequent attention to the distribution of bedding is 
just as important as to supply a large amount of it. Often a 
tour through the stables the last thing at night and a few minutes' 
attention to the distribution of the bedding at that time will save 
half an hour's work of cleaning the cows in the morning. If 
the manure is daily removed a considerable distance from the 
stable, bad odors from it will be kept from tainting the milk, 
and it will diminish the danger of contamination from filth-laden 
flies. The fly nuisance is caused by accumulations of manure 
in which the flies breed, and if conditions are favorable for daily 
removal of manure to the fields, this should be done. Flies 
carry bacteria and filth, and earnest efforts should be made to 



— 9-- 

keep the stable free from them. If the stal:)le and its surroundings 
are clean, free from accumulations of. manure and other materials 
which attract flies, the stable can be kept fairly free of them by 
the use of fly poison and traps. In addition to removing the 
accumulated manure from the gutter every day, the soiled bed- 
ding from under the cow should be raked back into the gutter 
and replaced with clean bedding. No animals other than cows 
should be allowed in the stable. The open-shed system of keeping 
cows is advocated by many dairymen and has some advantages, 
but it is essential that the shed is kept dry and be open on the 
south side. 

The feed for cows should be palatable and nutritious. Moldy 
and decayed feed and such feeds as may injuriously affect the 
cow's health or the character of the milk should he carefully 
avoided. The odor and flavor of milk are very readily affected 
b}' rape, cabbage, turnips, and other feeds having strong odors, 
and where these are used they should be given after milking, 
in which case there is little danger of contaminating the milk. 
Where pastures are overrun with garlic or wild onion the cows 
should be removed from the pasture several hours before milking. 

Owing to the dust and odors which arise from the feeding of 
hay, grain, and silage, it is best, from a sanitary standpoint, to 
feed after milking rather than before. A liberal supply of salt 
should be provided in a place where the cows can have ready 
access to it. It is of prime importance that the cows have an 
abundance of fresh, pure water. Cows which produce 25 pounds 
of milk a day require 75 pounds or more of water daily, and 
instances are on record in which heavy milkers have consumed 
more than 300 pounds of water a day. This large quantity of 
water is necessary not only for the formation of milk, but also 
for the digestion and assimilation of the large quantities of food 
consumed, much of which is roughage. It is not wise to permit 
cows to drink large amounts of ice-cold water, and in order to 
encourage them to drink a sufficient amount of water in extremely 
cold weather it is necessary to warm the water slightly. The 
water trough should be kept clean and be so situated that the 
cows when drinking will not be exposed unnecessarily to extremes 
of weather. 

The Stable 

Whenever possible the stable should be on high ground with 
good natural drainage. Poultry houses, privies, hog sheds, 
manure piles, or surroundings which pollute the stable air a!\d 
furnish breeding places for flies should not be near the cow stable. 

An ideal site for a barnyard is on a south slope which drains 
away from the stable. If the barnyard is inclined to be muddy, 
it may be improved by drainage and by the use of cinders or 



—10— 

gravel. A clean yard is a great help in keeping the cows from 
becoming soiled ])y mud and* manure. 

Very few farm buildings constructed fifteen to twenty years 
ago meet the sanitary requirements of to-day. Bank barns are 
generally dark and damp, as the light is often excluded from one or 
more sides, thus making the stable difficult to keep clean. Stables 
M^hich have basements open on one side for the manure furnish 
a breeding place for flies. Barns which have many exposed 
beams, braces, and ledges on which dust may lodge are undesir- 
able. In these old types of buildings little or no attention was 
paid to proper ventilation and distribution of the light. Many 
of them, however, can at small expense be remodeled to meet all 
sanitary requirements. 

Construction of the barn may be less important than careful 
methods in handling milk when the keeping down of the bacterial 
content of the milk is considered, but the barn construction may 
be such as to lighten the labor necessary to keep the barn and 
its equipment in a clean condition. 

The stable should have a hard floor which can be readily 
cleaned; for this reason a dirt floor is undesirable. A cement 
tloor is easily cleaned and prevents waste of the liquid manure; 
it is liable to be cold, however, and therefore extra bedding is 
required for the cows to lie on. 

The gutter back of the co\\'s should be large enough to hold 
the droppings; a width of 16 to 18 inches and a depth of 7 inches 
are usually sufficient. The gutter should incline so as to drain 
readily, unless th? liquid is taken up by absorbents. Types of stalls 
and mangers are best which present the least possible surface for 
collecting dust and dirt, and the least obstruction to the circu- 
lation of air. Stalls of wood have m.any flat surfaces and cracks 
which are difficult to keep clean and in case of outbreaks of disease 
are not very easy to disinfect thoroughly. Stalls made of metal 
pipes are therefore preferable. A swing stanchion is usually 
preferred, as it allows the cow plenty of freedom. A low, smooth 
manger without sharp angles is easy to keep clean. If the cows 
are tied facing the center of the barn, the walk-way behind 
them should be 5 feet or more in width so the walls will not be 
soiled by spattering from the gutter and the manure carrier. 

The most common defect in dairy stables is a lack of cleanli- 
ness; cobwebs on the ceiling and manure on the walls are too 
common in such places. The dairyman must not allow cobwebs, 
dust, or dirt to accumulate if he expects to produce the highest 
grade of milk. With a tight, smooth ceiling and smooth ^\alls 
without ledges, this is not difficult. Whitewash should be freely 
applied at lease twice a year both to walls and ceiling, as it helps 
to purify the stable and to keep it light. An abundance of light 
is necessary; 4 square feet of glass per cow is generally sufficient 



—11— 

if the windows are well distrilmted and not olistructed in any 
way. If the stable is located with its length north and south it 
receives the purifying benefit of both the morning and afternoon 
sun. 

Every cow stable should have a system of ventilation to 
keep the air fresh and pure and the cows comfortable without 
exposing them to injurious drafts. If the smell in the stable 
is disagreeable at any time, it indicates that the ventilation is 
deficient. At least 500 cubic feet of air space should be provided 
for each cow. 

The Milk-House 

The building in which the milk is handled should be conven- 
ient to the barn but so placed as to be free from dust and stable 
odors. The ideal place for it is in a v,''ell-drained spot somewhat 
higher than the barn. It should not be near the barnyard, pig- 
pen, privy, or other source of contamination. In cold climates 
it may be connected with the stable by a covered but well-ven- 
tilated passageway with self-closing doors at each end to prevent 
odors passing from the stable to the milk-house. With proper 
precautions the milk-house may be in the same building as the 
stable, but it should be provided with a separate entrance and the 
walls between should be tight and without a communicating door 
or window. 

The principal purpose in building a milk-house is to provide 
a place where dairy products may be hajidled apart from all 
other operations. To carry out this idea it is necessary to divide 
the interior of the building into two or more rooms in order to 
wash the utensils and handle the milk in separate rooms. The 
milk-house and all its equii)ment should be so planned that un- 
necessary steps will be avoided and labor economized to the 
greatest extent. 

Thorough cleanliness must always be kept in mind; therefore 
there should be no unnecessary ledges or rough surfaces inside 
the building, so that it can he quickly and thoroughly cleaned. 
Milk-house floors should be of concrete and pitched to drain 
through bell traps. Round edges at the walls will prevent the 
collection of dust and dirt. The walls and ceilings may be made 
of matched boards; but cement plaster on painted metal lathing is 
better. Ventilators are necessary to keep the air in the milk- 
room fresh and free from musty and other undesirable odors, 
and to carrj^ off steam from the wash room. Windows are of 
prime importance, as they let in fresh air and sunlight, and fac- 
ilitate work. In summer the doors and windows should be 
screened to keep out flies and other insects. 

It is imperative that there be a plentiful suppl}^ of cold, 



—12— 

running water at the dairy houso. If it is not ]3ossible to have 
a gravity sj^stem the supply may be pij^ecl from an elevated tank 
fed by a hydraulic ram, engine, windmill, or hand pump. The 
dairyman can ill afford to spend his time in carrying water in 
a pail to cool his milk and wash his utensils. Provision must 
also be made for supplying an abundance of hot water to clean 
and wash utensils. I'he water supply should be clean and abun- 
dant as well as convenient; otherwise the cleaning will not be 
thorough. Impure water is a source of contamination that under 
no circumstances should be allowed on a dairy farm. Outbreaks 
of typhoid fever in cities have been traced to dairy farms where 
the wash water was impure. Water which comes from shallow 
wells receiving surface drainage, or seepage from barnyard or 
house wastes, or from pastures, is impure and should not be used, 

Lh'ENSILS 

All utensils which come in contact with milk should be made 
of durable, smooth, non-absorbent material. Wooden utensils 
are hard to sterilize and therefore are not used in the best-equipped 
dairies. Badly battered or rusty ware is objectionable, as it 
is hard to clean, and contact with iron may injure the flavor of 
milk and milk products. Avoid all utensils having complicated 
parts, crevices, or inaccessible places which are hard to clean 
properly. 

For the proper sterilization of utensils an abundance of 
steam or hot water is needed, because at a few degrees above 
100° F. the growth of the ordinary forms of bacteria ceases, 
although some exceptional forms grow at much higher temipera- 
tures. All disease-producing bacteria commonly found in milk 
are destroyed or rendered harmless on exposure to a temperature 
of 145° F. for 20 minutes. Some bacteria are able to withstand 
unfavorable conditions by passing into a resistant state known 
as spores, and these spores are killed only by long exposure to a 
temperature at or above that of boiling water. A pail or can 
may be clean to the eye and yet may carry numberless bacteria 
which will hasten the souring of milk, cause bad flavor in butter 
or cheese, or spread contagion. Milk utensils should be rinsed 
in cold water immediately after they have been used and before 
the milk has had time to dry upon them, then washed thoroughly 
in hot water to which soda or some washing powder has been 
added. Brushes are preferable to cloths for washing dairy uten- 
sils, as they are more easily kept clean and do better work. 

After washing, the utensils must be rinsed and sterilized. 
For the latter they can be immersed in boiling water for at least 
two minutes or held over a steam jet for the same length of time, 
but the most effective method is to put them into a tight closet 



—13— 

and thoroughly sterihze with steam. The utensils while hot 
should he removed from the steam or water so that the\' will 
dry quickly from their own heat and until used should be kept 
inverted in a clean place, free from dust, files or other contami- 
nation. Strainer cloths can be washed in the manner above 
described, boiled for five minutes, and then hung in a clean place 
to dry. 

Milking 

Unless considerable care is taken large numbers of l)acteria 
may find their way into the milk during the process of milking. 
Cows should be milked in clean, well-lighted stables. It may be 
possible by taking great pains to produce good milk in a dark 
or dirty stable, but it is extremely improbable that clean milk 
will be produced under such conditions by the average person. 
Grooming and feeding the cattle as well as cleaning the stable 
and removing the manure, should not be done just before milking, 
as these operations fill the air with odors, dust, and bacteria 
which may contaminate the milk. After grooming and before 
milking, the udders, flanks, and belUes of the cows should be 
carefully wiped with a damp cloth to remove any dust or loose 
hairs which might fall into the milk pail. In some dairies where 
milk containing an exceptionally small number of bacteria is 
produced, the cow's udders are washed twice in clean water and 
then wiped with a clean cloth. Only those persons who are 
free from communicable disease should be allowed to handle 
milk or even enter the stable or dairy house. 

After the cows are prepared for milking, each milker should 
thoroughly wash his hands and put on a pair of clean overalls 
and a jumper, or wear a suit, preferably white, which is used for 
no other purpose. The suit must be kept clean and occasionally 
sterilized with steam or hot water. It is best to use a clean milking 
stool to avoid soiling the milker's hands. 

In modern dairies where clean milk is produced the small-top 
milk pail is a necessity, as such a pail presents only a small opening 
into which dust and dirt may fall from the air or from the cow's 
body. It has been found by experience that the use of the small- 
top pail greatly reduces the number of bacteria in milk from aver- 
age dairies. Many types of milk pails are for sale, but any 
tinner can convert an ordinary pail into a small-top pail by the 
addition of a hood as shown in Figure 2. 



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Fig. 2. OPEN AND SMALL-TOP MILK PAILS 

Milkers should be allowed to milk only with dry hands. 
The practice of wetting the hands with milk is a filthy habit 
and is liable to cause the cow's teats to chap in the winter time. 
Milking should be done quickly and thoroughly, with no violent 
jerking of the teats. After each cow is milked the pail of milk 
should be removed immediately to the milk house. Milk must 
not be strained in the stable. 

The milker should remember always that he is handling a 
human food which is very easily contaminated. Soap, clean 
water, and towels must be readily accessible. The hands should 
])e washed after milking each cow. 



Handling the Milk 

When the milk is taken to the milk-house it should be strained, 
and cooled at once. All milk should be strained to remove any 
dirt that may have fallen into it. This is best done through a 
layer of sterilized absorbent cotton between two cloths, or through 
several thicknesses of cheesecloth or similar material. A supply 
of strainer cloths should l^e ready for use at all times so that 
when one becomes soiled another can be substituted immediately. 

While cooling and in storage the milk cans should be kept 
covered to prevent the entrance of dust, dirt, insects, and other 
extraneous substances. Warm fresh milk should not be mixed 
with the cold milk of the previous milking, as such a practice 
results in warming up the milk which has been previously cooled. 

To retard the growth of bacteria milk must l)e cooled imme- 



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diately to 50° F. or lower if possible. Ordinarily this can be 
done most satisfactorily by placing the cans in a tank, preferably 
concrete, containing enough ice and water to come well up on the 
neck of the can. The cooUng will be hastened if the milk is 
frequently stirred with a clean stirrer. Milk can be cooled more 
rapidly if it is run over a cooler inside of which is cold, running 
water, but if the air is not pure it will . contaminate the milk. 
The milk should be kept in ice-water until it is loaded on the 
wagon to go to the receiving plant. 

The Essential Factors in Producing 
A Clean, Safe Milk 

Clean, healthy cows kept in clean, light, well-ventilated 
stables. 

Stable so constructed as to be easily cleaned. 

A clean, well-drained barnyard. 

A small-top milking pail. 

Inmaediate cooling of the milk to 50'^ F. or lower. 

Storage of milk at a low temperature until delivered. 

A separate house for handling the milk. 

An abundant supply of pure water. 

Clean, healthy milkers that milk with dry hands. 

Clean utensils, thoroughly sterilized. 

Protect all milk, cream, dairy utensils and the milk house 
from flies, dust and dirt. 

Never mix fresh warm cream with cold cream in the storage 
can. 

Cool cream from the separator at once. 

Stir the cream frequently to hasten cooling and to keep it 
in smooth condition. 

The Proper Richness of the Cream 

Adjust the cream screw of the separator so as to secure cream 
testing about 35 to 45 per cent. fat. Low-testing cream sours 
and spoils more quickly than high-testing cream, so that by the 
time it reaches the creamery it is often in condition unfit to be 
made into good butter. In the spoiled and curdy condition, 
it also makes difficult accurate sampling and testing. It is unde- 
sirable further because it diminishes the amount of skim milk 



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available for the feeding of the calves and pigs; it increases the 
cost of transportation for every pound of butter fat shipped ; 
it makes impracticable the use of a reasonable amount of starter 
in the creamer}^ and starter is essential for the production of the 
best quality of butter; it does not churn out exhaustively and 
yields an excessive amount of buttermilk, augmenting the loss 
of fat, thereby reducing the churn yield. There are no advan- 
tages in producing a cream testing higher than 45 per cent. Too 
rich cream is undesirable because it tends to clog the separator; 
it increases the loss in handhng b,y sticking to the receptacles; 
it makes difficult accurate sampling and thereby tends to yield 
incorrect results. It is desirable to produce somewhat richer 
cream in summer than in winter to prevent excessive souring 
in summer and difficult handling in winter. 



Sour Cream Tests no Higher than Sweet Cream 

The impression among cream producers appears to be that 
sour cream contains more butter fat and yields a higher test 
than sweet cream. For this reason some farmers purposely 
keep their cream until it sours and often store it in a warm place 
to hasten the souring. The impression is entirely erroneous. 
The acidity or sweetness oj cream has no effect on its fat content, 
nor on the resulting test. On the other hand, this practice of caus- 
ing the cream to become extremely sour spoils its chances to make 
good butter and renders difficult the taking of a representative 
sample and thereby lessens the reliability of the test, for the 
accuracy of the test depends above all things on the accuracy of 
the sample. 



